These Final Days
by LaurynHill
Summary: It's the end of Tai's junior year, and somehow he's not having as much fun as he should be having. Tai knows Sora's new friend is no good, but she has her own opinion. [Complete!] Taiora.
1. Heishiro Kiyotaka

These Final Days

Heishiro Kiyotaka

-Spartan3500

**(A/N: This is my first story with chapters. It may be a bit straight forward. I'd like some constructive criticism after you read too. The next chapter will be up Wednesday probably.)**

"Tai... Taichi, wake up. TAI! WAKE UP DAMNIT!" Kari started to shake Tai out of his sleep.

"Kari, why'd you have to be so rough?"

"Wow Tai. Maybe if you got up on time, you wouldn't have had to be woken up. You're going to make me late for school. I still have to do my hair, figure out what I'm wearing, and put my make-up on. And I only have 20 minutes!" He had tuned her out, so she stormed out of his room and slammed her door.

20 minutes? So he had 20 minutes; that'd be more than enough for him. Tai got out of bed and pulled some clean clothes out of his dresser: a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt; nothing special. He went out of his room and into the bathroom to take a shower.

After he showered, he brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and gelled it so it would be as big and poofy as it normally is. He ran back to his room to put on his socks and shoes and glanced at the clock, which read 7:15.

_'Wow, I took less time than I thought'_ Maybe he'd actually eat breakfast today. Picking his book bag, he walked to the kitchen where his mom was. Kari still hadn't come out of her room yet. She was so slow.

"Good morning, sweetie. Do you want some breakfast?"

"Morning, mom. I'm just gonna have some fruit."

"Oh, come on, Tai. You need more than a piece of fruit. Have some cereal or something. I can quickly make some eggs and bacon."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just going to have a banana. Look at the time. I'm going to leave. Bye."

"Aren't you going to wait for your sister?"

"No. Bye, mom."

"I love you..."

Tai could have done the cliché, "wipe the sweat off your forehead." He always hated waking up early to his mom trying to shove food down his throat. That's one of the reason's why he slept in so late.

While he walked to the elevator, he peeled his banana and started to eat it. He finished before the elevator came up, threw the peel in the trash can, and stepped in. It normally took him ten minutes to walk to school, so he was on time. Two blocks down the road, he always met up with Sora, his best friend. When he got there, she was just walking up.

"Early today?" She held all the times he was late against him.

"Yup, let's go."

So they walked the 3 blocks more to get to their high school, talking about what was going on: Tai's soccer games, Sora's tennis games, and the like. This was what they talked about every morning as they walked to school. Maybe the newest movie in the theaters too.

They made it to school just as the bell was ringing, signaling that homeroom was about to start. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways through the corridors. Tai took a left and followed the hall twenty feet, and was about to take a right. He rounded the corner and collided with some kid. Tai was pushed back, tripped, and fell. The other kid looked a little dazed, but still stood on his feet. Tai got up and was pissed off.

"Wanna watch where your going, loser?

"Who do you think you are telling me what to do? Just get the hell out of my way." The kid brushed on by Taichi, not even looking back.

_'What an idiot.'_ Tai finally made it to his homeroom, where he sat in his seat in a bad mood. Matt, one of Tai's other friends came sat in a seat next to him. He looked at Tai, noticed the expression he was wearing on his face, but didn't say anything. A few minutes later, Matt was about to ask what the problem was, but the teacher quieted the room down.

"Shut up, you kids. The announcements are on. Detentions for anyone who talks." All the students in the room stopped talking to look at the TV. They only wanted to see what day it was, then they continued to talk on.

_"Good morning everyone. Today is Thursday, June 1st, 2006. Only six more days of school left. Excited?"_

"Tai, what happened to you this morning?" Yamato was sort of teasing him when he said this.

_"For lunch today, the cafeteria will be serving cheese steaks, french fries, milk, and your choice of fruit."_

"Some stupid kid ran into me today."

_"Tomorrow you'll be voting for your student government officers. Get ready, your vote counts and decides how money is split up for activities and dances for your class next year."_

"And you fell on your ass?" Matt cracked up at Tai's failure to respond. He slowly calmed down after he got a look from the teacher at her desk. "Who was it?"

_"Tomorrow after school, at 3:30 PM will be the student vs. faculty soccer game. Today is the last day you can buy tickets. They will be on sale at lunches today."_

"Some new kid..."

_"And furthermore, next Friday is Prom. Tickets will be on sale today, and all next week at lunches. They cost $20. Don't miss out! This year the school is giving out a car to one lucky person."_

"And you just let him push you around?"

_"That's all for the announcements. Study for your finals, and enjoy your day."_

"Could you just shut up?" Tai left the classroom right when the bell rang. He left Matt behind, who was still laughing at how lame his friend was. Tai slowed his fast pace down to a stroll. He left his room for his _favorite _class, Chemistry. The teacher was an idiot, and the tests were hard. He had managed to keep a "B" average this year, which was amazing. He only had to pass this final coming up, and he'd be fine. Luckily, all of his teacher's decided to give their juniors a break. They took off all essays and made all the tests multiple choice. Tai was really happy, and he wouldn't have to do that much studying.

He made it to Chemistry. He walked into that room and sat in his chair across the aisle from Sora. He pulled out his Chemistry folder and his book and didn't even say "Hello" to Sora. She picked up on this immediately.

"Tai, what's wrong with you."

Tai looked at Sora and said, "Nothing. I'm absolutely fine."

"Are you sure? You know Tai, you're never..." She got cut off as the teacher cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Excuse me, class, today I would like to welcome a new student into our Chemistry class. He will be finishing the year with us. Come on in." Tai watched with disdain as the kid walked in; the same kid who ran into him earlier. "Go ahead and introduce yourself."

"Hello everyone. My name is Heishiro Kiyotaka, and I moved here from Niigata." Everyone in turn said, "Hello," altogether in an unenthusiastic monotone.

"Kiyotaka, you may sit next to Sora, the girl in the black and yellow t-shirt. Now back to business. Let's start our review for the final exams. So, what do you get when you have a covalent bond between and iron ion with 24 electrons..."

"Hi Kiyotaka, my name is Takenouchi Sora. You can call me Sora. This is Tai." She pointed to Tai, who was across the aisle with a total look of contempt on his face. Kiyotaka wore the same thing. "This is _Tai_, my friend, who will greet you." Tai just looked that other way and pretended to follow along with the teacher's review. "Excuse my friend."

"It's alright. And you can call me Kyo. That's what all my friends call me. I like your earrings. They really bring out your beautiful eyes." A blush. The flirting didn't stop there. It just continued. More blushes, more giggles. Tai did not want to be in the room right now. The teacher didn't even stop it. He was getting hot. Had the temperature gone up? It felt like the walls were moving in on his desk, compressing the air, and raising the temperature. Before he knew it, the bell rang. _'Finally.'_ Tai made a break for the door. Hell, he wanted to get out of the room as fast as he could. Sora couldn't get to him in time to see what's wrong.

"Taichi..."

Too late, he was out. The room, which had felt as if it were closing in on him, had let go. He could breathe. That didn't stop him from running to the locker rooms. He wanted to get to Gym as fast as he could. Exercising took his mind off of the world. Playing on the soccer field, he only saw his team, the opposite team, and the ball. Everything else ceased to exist; his mind was on the game. Gym flew by. It was too short by his standards. After Gym came Japanese Lit., which went by quickly, as did Math, Lunch, History, English, and French. Soon, he found himself at the entrance to the school, walking down the steps to the road which lead him home.

He had lucked out. That Kiyotaka kid wasn't in any of his other classes. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to ever deal with the kid outside of Chemistry, which was coming to a close next week. Then he was free for the rest of the summer. This thought brought put a smile on his face. _'Six more days.'_ Once finals were over, he could go to Prom and then relax for a whole three months.

"Tai! Tai, wait up!" Behind him ran Yamato and Sora. Sora saw the smile on Tai's face and was visibly relieved. "Tai, are you alright now?"

"I'm fine, Sora." She still looked a little worried as her friend lied to her.

"Sora and I wanted to get everyone together tomorrow for the movies. Does that work for you if we go around 7:00 PM?"

"Yea. I'm in the student-faculty soccer game tomorrow, which you're coming to?" Two nods. "Cool. That should be over at 5:30-6:00, so I can come. What movie are we going to see?"

"We can pick when we get to the theaters. Listen, I have band practice, so I'll catch you guys later."

Tai and Sora both said goodbye and started to walk home. Sora was still wondering about what happened earlier. "Tai, why don't you like Kyo?"

"Who ever said I didn't like him." Whatever smile and good mood he had mustered from before were gone.

"It was kind of obvious that you didn't like him earlier. You just stopped talking and you had a negative feel. Tai, what's wrong?"

"I just don't like him."

"Why? He's really nice. He was courteous all day long to me. He's smart, and he's funny. What more could you ask for in a friend?"

"I don't like him." Sora was about to continue the argument, but Tai cut her off. "Sora, drop it." So she did. The rest of their walk remained silent. They didn't walk as close together as they normally did, but instead walked with an uncomfortable distance between them.

When they arrived to the intersection where their ways split, Sora stopped and looked directly into Tai's eyes. Tai held the contact for a second before breaking the contact and looking away. "See you tomorrow, Tai."

"Bye."

Tai walked the two blockes back to his house rather quickly. He walked inside his apartment and shut the door, leaning on it while enjoying the air conditioning.

_'These last few days aren't going to be as fun as I thought they'd be.'_

**(A/N: Constructive criticism please, if you have any.)**


	2. It's a Rental

These Final Days

It's a Rental

**(A/N: ** **I think Taichi will be a little more "in character" than last time. I'm sure Kari curses too. It's not like she absolutely perfect; no one is. Tai's a junior (if you haven't picked up on that), so that makes Kari a freshman. I think every teen curses unless you live in some Hutterite colony where you get beat for saying the "Lord's name in vain." :P I got a little carried away there, but enjoy! Thanks go out to **Criquett, dbzgtfan2004, JyouraKoumi, fangirl712, Stained In Negativity, Tankana, and NewRageInc. **for reviewing the first chapter. Thank you!)**

Today was different; Taichi had managed to get himself up thirty minutes before his normal wake up call. To give Kari a break? No. He had his Chemistry, Japanese Lit., and Math finals today. What better of a time to study than the day of the exam? He put in some major cramming before starting his daily routine of showering, dressing, and all the other stuff.

Today Tai decided to let his mom cook him breakfast, as he was already done fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. So, he had a great breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. One thing his mom could cook was breakfast, and he was looking forward to eating this morning. Had all his "angsting" last night brought on this bought of hunger? Maybe the one hour run he did last night at 10:00? Anyway, he was hungry; he wolfed down his meal and made it outside avoiding his previous haste and cliché.

Today, Tai was determined to be in a happy, pleasant mood. For the sake of himself and his friends. He didn't want to think Matt was contagious, and he knew his friends couldn't take another dark persona. Matt had pretty much outgrown his past personality, but occasionally he still shut others out.

Tai made it to their meeting place just as Sora arrived. They always seemed synchronized, arriving at the same time the other did. They ran on the same clock. Sora looked equally as happy as Tai. He had his normal walk about him and his trademark grin, which in turn always put a smile on Sora's face. Sora noticed that he was back to normal.

"Early today?" _'Things are back to normal?'_

"Yup, let's go." The walked towards the school like they did every day. They were comfortably distanced from each other, rather right next to each other. Today, they were doing a last minute Chem quiz for their upcoming exam. They laughed, they joked, and they smiled. Things were back to normal.

Homeroom passed, and Taichi walked into his Chemistry classroom. Kiyotaka wasn't there because he wasn't getting tested. _'What a relief.' _Tai picked up his test and went to work. He filled in his answer sheet. _A, B, A, C, C, D, A, C... _He looked over at Sora, who was solely concentrated on her paper. _'Better finish it.' D, C, D, D, B, B, A, C, D..._

His Chemistry test was done; his Japanese Literature and Math exams were done as well. They were all easy. Hopefully, he would do as well as he thought he did. But those thoughts were left behind as he stepped onto the soccer field, dressed in his soccer uniform, with his team mates. They were going to beat the stupid, old teachers again. Just as they had done last year.

But with the new, younger teachers, Tai found himself having a challenge. Forty minutes into the game, Tai and his team only lead by one point. He was dribbling the ball upfield; he was going for the goal which would ensure their lead. He easily sidestepped his coach and brought the ball upfield further. He was almost to the goal and the students were cheering him on.

He snuck one look to the stands to look for his friends; to look for Sora. This was a mistake in the first place. He should have concentrated on the ball in front of him, not Sora talking to Kiyotaka; ignoring the game in progress. He should have concentrated on the goal in front of him, focused on putting one foot in front of the other. He should have seen the new teacher run in front of him and steal the ball. He should have at least seen the ground rush up to meet him as he fell.

"Taichi!" The referee blew the whistle and his team came to his side. _'Can't breathe.'_ "Come on Tai, breathe!" After a few more seconds, Tai finally regained control over he chest and took a large breath of air. "Are you alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine. I just got the wind knocked out of me." He waved off any further attempts for assistance and ran back down field, where the soccer ball was. The teacher had scored, so now the two teams were tied. Tai and the teacher squared off before midfield and the game was resumed.

The teacher blew past Tai. Tai quickly followed him down the field. He caught up and tapped the ball out from the teacher's feet, regained control, and rushed upfield. Back where he was before, Tai didn't look around; he didn't want to make the same mistake again. The defense came in, which proved difficult to get around.

_"So, I basically did nothing today. How were your tests?"_

_"Huh?" Yamato nudged her and pointed out to the field. "Oh."_

_"Sora?"_

_"Shh..." Her attention had gone back to the game. Her attention which had been so unceremoniously stolen from the game. "Go Taichi!"_

"Go Taichi!" With that last exclamation, he felt a renewed strength course through his body as he had to dodge the opposite team. He executed a series of some complicated tricks and maneuvers, which got the crowd roaring. He closed in on the goal, pulled back his leg, and sent the winning shot through posts. The students cheered, and his friends rushed on the field.

"You did awesome Tai!" Tai beamed when Sora said this. Kiyotaka was left on the stands with a sour look on his face. Tai placed his arm around Sora's shoulders. "Eww, you're all hot and sweaty. I don't wasnt you touching me." She playfully pulled his arm off her and pushed him away. He tripped and fell to the ground. They both started to laugh.

"Could I get some help here?" She held out her hand and he stood up, not really using her hand for support. "Thanks, I don't smell that bad do I?" Sora just laughed again. "I guess I should go get a shower before the movies. I guess I'll see you at 7:00."

"Bye, Tai." Tai decided to run home. He already had that adrenaline high from the game and he wanted to get home as quickly as possible. He had a little over an hour to get ready. He could play some video games too. This was shaping up to be an awesome Friday.

"Bye, Tai." She walked back over to the stands where Kyo was sitting. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, nothing. Pretty exciting game, huh?"

"Yea! It was awesome." Sora looked like she could keep going, but she noticed Kyo didn't look to interested. She stopped.

"Do you want to go get something to eat before the movies? I know of an awesome café. It's my treat. We just have to stop at my apartment for money for food and movies."

"Sure. Where do you live?"

"I live in the Kouji apartment complex. It's right next to the café."

"Great. Let's go." She reluctantly walked with him down the sidewalk to the café. Somehow, she felt like she shouldn't be doing this. _'What should I be doing instead? Who should I be with?'_ She just brushed those thoughts away, deciding that she was wrong. It was just that she was never one for accepting a free meal. That was why she felt this way, right?

"Kari, what's the time?"

"Can't you keep track of the damn time yourself, Tai? Seriously, I'm not your slave bitch!"

"Wow, Kari. What's up with you? Having troubles with Takeru? Thanks again!" He slipped his shoes on and grabbed his keys, leaving a flustered Kari in the doorway. He ran to the elevator, took it downstairs, and jumped in his car. The car was nothing special. A silver Mazda Rx-7 from 1998. He got it for a couple thousand dollars. It was pretty nice, for his first car.

_'Record time.'_ Matt was the first one there. He joined his friend at by the ticket booths. "Matt, do you know what movie we're seeing?"

"I figured we'd decide once everyone got here. Look here comes Sora." As Taichi turned around, his heart dropped. She was walking next to Kiyotaka.

"Who invited him?"

"I did. He seemed cool enough. He also knows a lot about music. It really surprised me; someone from Niigata actually sticking with current events. Hah!" Sora and Kiyotaka walked up, the latter with a rather smug look. "Ready to decide on a movie?"

"Yea. How about we see 'Lady in the Water.'" Kiyotaka obviously thought he had the deciding factor. He thought he had the privilege to decide what movie the group saw. Sora didn't have a problem with it; Matt didn't have a problem with it. Damn, no one had a problem with it except him. They had all responded with their answers and were waiting on him.

"Sure." There was no enthusiasm in his voice when he spoke. He bought his ticket anyway. He tried to get a seat next to Sora, but Kiyotaka lead her up the aisle too quickly. Kiyotaka had gone down the row of seats first. He was pulling Sora after him, but not phyically; He seemed to have a hold on her. Koushiro decided to follow Sora, and then Yamato. Before Tai could do anything, his group was seated and he was stuck next to Mimi. It was more like Mimi being stuck on Tai. She was all jumpy and clingy during the thriller, which made Tai uncomfortable. Sometimes she would switch to hanging on to Matt, much to Tai's relief.

The movie ended and the group left the theater. They were on the sidewalk saying their goodbyes. Tai couldn't help but overhear Sora and Kyo talking.

"Sora, would you like me to walk you home?"

"Yes, please."

Tai didn't stick around any longer. He got into his car and drove home. He walked in, took his shoes off, and put his keys on the counter. His parents were on the couch watching a movie of their own.

"How was the movie, son?"

"It's rental. I really didn't like it that much. I'm tired and I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight."

Tai walked to his room. Kari was behind him with a odd smirk on her face.

"Having problems with Sora? Goodnight." She gave him a slight hug and walked back to her room, leaving a flustered Tai at his bedroom door.

**(A/N: I know they don't use dollars in Japan, but it'll be easier to say dollars then yen. Please review. Constructive criticism is appreciated.)**


	3. Pool Day

These Final Days

Pool Day

**(A/N: Well, it's 1:00AM here in Philadelphia. Just to let you know, my beta is asleep! So she couldn't edit it for me. I don't think there are any compromising errors in this chapter. I reread it, and it seems fine to me. If there are any errors, I will replace it tomorrow with a fixed chapter. I like this chapter; you can tell me what you think as well. The only problem is that I still think it's too straightforward. I need to vary my sentences, but I don't know how else to present the details. Problems, problems, problems. Enjoy!)**  


With the blinds left open, an extreme amount of sunlight filtered into Tai's room early on Saturday morning. The bright sky outside was beautiful, and the Sun shone proudly. Fluffy, white clouds were evenly spaced against a backdrop of deep blue. There was no smog from Tokyo this morning, which made the sky even more beautiful. It was a gorgeous day!

Taichi lay on his bed; his chest rising up and down in slow breaths. His face was peaceful as he slept. His tanned skin shone back towards the sky. It was in deep contrast to his white sheets. The Sun, which had given him his warm colors, was shining bright outside as Tai lay asleep in his air-conditioned room. As to demonstrate its point, the rays of bright light slowly crept up to Tai's face as the sun rose into the sky.

At first, the rays tried to slowly coax him out of his sleep. But Tai wouldn't have that. He just turned over in his sleep, not wanting to be woken up this early. The Sun rose even higher as the morning went on. It would not condone Tai's insolence. The boy of courage, whose power derived from the sun, would not be allowed rest when the Sun had created such a beautiful day. The rays soon fully covered Tai, ensnaring him in their bright, white light. Tai tried his same tactics, but turning back around only brought faced him towards the source of the light. His face contorted as he was woken.

"Damn sun." In all of the brightness, Taichi stepped towards his windows and swiftly closed the blinds, stopping the brunt of the light. He didn't even notice how amazing the day was. He flopped back on his bed with a pout. The Sun had woken him on his one Saturday of the week. Selfless thoughts invaded his mind as he tried to go back to bed. The Sun had no right to wake him on his time to sleep.

Try as he might, he just couldn't go back to sleep. It seemed as if the light had crept in through the spaces between the blinds, creating more of an ambient light then the direct light which had woken him. Tai sat up in his bed, not wanting to even try to fall back to sleep now; it just wasn't going to happen. It was bright. It was annoying. It was… _'Seven o'clock! Well, this officially sucks.'_

Tai slipped on some shorts and a shirt and walked out into the living room. No one was there. _'That's right. Everyone else's room faces directions other than east. They're lucky.'_ So Tai fell on the nearest couch. He just decided to lounge around for the rest of the morning. He turned the TV on to the news for some sports highlights from the night before.

Taichi was still inside the house. The Sun still wouldn't have it, so the TV went off as soon as it came on. The glare had been to much to bear for Tai. He looked down at the remote on the table, and next to it sat an outdoor magazine. The cover story was about pools. Tai's brain clicked in here at this. He wrote a note to his parents and stuck it on the refrigerator. It basically said that he had woken up early and was going to the pool.

He walked back to his room where he noticed how dark it actually was. While he opened his blinds, he noticed that the day was exceptionally beautiful. The clouds were out, and the sky seemed clean. _'A great day to swim.'_ He slipped out of his gym shorts and pulled on some board shorts. They were white with blue and brown stripes, which accentuated his skin. He brushed his teeth, and put his slides on. Picking out the biggest beach towel, he headed out the door towards the community pool only a few blocks away.

It was really early, so he hoped no one would be there. The pool opened at seven for early swimmers. It wasn't unbearably hot outside, but the Sun still beat upon him none the less. Tai started into a run, but decided to stop after he tripped over his own slides. _'That's what I get for wearing these things three months out of twelve.'_ He slowed back down to a walk until he reached the pool, not wanting to embarrass himself further.

Reaching the pool, Tai claimed a lounge chair by putting his sandals under it and his towel and cell phone on top. He looked around at the people. There were a few people in the pool and few people tanning in the chairs. He crossed his arms and gripped the bottom of his shirt. Then he pulled up and removed the shirt that he wore, revealing the rest of his tan, toned body. He ran to the edge of the pool with some swimming goggles and jumped right in, relaxing in the cool water.

Sora looked up from her book as she saw a flash of tan body and a large mass of brown hair run by her. She watched as he swam around in the water, occasionally getting out to dive in from the diving board. _'I wouldn't have thought he got up this early.'_ She put her book down and walked to the edge of the pool. Sora was wearing a rather modest bikini, but she still looked beautiful. She placed herself where near to where he would resurface and waited.

Taichi took his time swimming underwater. The goggles really helped a lot. He was happy he bought them. It was better to swim with goggles than to swim with no goggles. He was running out of air so he decided to go up to breathe. Tai resurfaced in the shadow of someone standing there in front of him. The Sun decided here that it would leave, disappearing behind a large cloud.

Shivering from the sudden disappearance of the Sun, Tai decided to speak first. "Sora?"

"Hey Tai. I thought you were the 'sleep in till one in the afternoon' type."

"Well I normally am, but the Sun woke me up."

"Me too."

"So, when did you get here?

"Well, I got here about five minutes before you did. We always seem to be at the same place at the same time." They both laughed. Taichi continued to laugh, but Sora stopped laughing. She just noticed how Taichi had his goggles resting on his forehead. _'Those goggles.'_ How she had forgotten about them. How they personified Tai; they were his trademark, along with that smirk of his. The one he was wearing right now. Her eyes trailed to his dark skin and to his shoulders and chest. She snapped out of it as she realized he was still smirking. _'Crap.'_ That smirk never meant anything good. Before Sora could contemplate on the issue further, she was pulled into the water by none other than Tai.

Tai was laughing hysterically. When Sora resurfaced, she wore a sour face and she splashed Tai a few times.

"Tai! You idiot!"

"Oh, come on, Sora. You were going to get into the pool anyway."

"How do you know that?"

"I know I saw you eyeing me up. Like my muscles?" Tai put on some badass expression and flexed his arms. Sora couldn't help but laugh at this ridiculous display in front of her. Tai laughed with her, but he failed to notice that she was deeply blushing too. They swam for the rest of the morning, playing volleyball, having races, and just relaxing. It was a great morning for the both of them, but Tai didn't have breakfast and was hungry.

"Sora, do you want to come over to my house for lunch?"

"Yes! I'm really hungry."

"Or would you rather go out to a sandwich joint? I brought enough money for the both of us."

"No Tai. I'm fine with just eating at your house. You don't need to buy my lunch."

"Oh, come on. It'll be my treat. It's just sandwiches; they're not that expensive."

"Ok." That was the second time she was accepting a free meal in two consecutive days. She would have to pay Tai back. He really didn't need to do this. She could run home and get money, or they could just eat at his house, but Tai wouldn't hear. He insisted on paying for his best friend.

They stopped at a small restaurant a block away from the pool. Tai ordered a large meatball sandwich, and Sora ordered a small ham and cheese. They both got a bag of chips to share between them. Tai paid and they walked to a booth with their chips, waiting for their sandwiches.

"You could have gotten more if you were hungry."

"Tai, I told you a million times. I'm absolutely fine."

"_Number nineteen!"_

"That's us." Tai got up to retrieve their sandwiches. He came back up and gave Sora her sandwich. Tai immediately started to ravenously eat his. The sandwich looked amazing. Its meatballs were the perfect size. It had great sauce and enough cheese on it. It was truly an amazing sandwich.

Sora just watched as Tai devoured his sandwich. She watched with awe at how he could do such a thing, as if he had never eaten before. She watched as he took in the whole end of one side and bite away. She watched him take a large handful of chips. She couldn't help but wonder how he stayed so thin. Soccer alone wouldn't keep off the pounds that he ate. He must have inherited some insanely active metabolism. He just ate and he ate. She looked down at his sandwich and followed his arms with her eyes. Watching the muscles move every time he brought the sandwich to his mouth. Her eyes moved to his face, where he was so intent on the quickly decreasing food in front of him. His hair was still droopy from the pool. _'I love his hair.' _She looked into his eyes which were full of passion and happiness.

At that moment, he looked up and met Sora's glance. She held the contact and then proceeded to start on her own sandwich, which was only half unwrapped. She couldn't help but think about her lunch with Kyo yesterday. _'Why doesn't Tai like him?'_ As she continued to eat, she couldn't help but visualize Kyo sitting in front of her. He wasn't as tan as Tai. His eyes were brown as well, but not that chocolate color of Tai's. His were more a darker brown; eyes that in the dark light looked black. Kyo was a couple of inches taller than Tai. Kyo also had less muscle and more fat than Tai, not too much though.

Sora was still staring at Tai, who had finished his sandwich. She wasn't really looking at Tai though. She saw Kyo in front of her.

"Sora? Sora?" Tai snapped her out her trance. She blushed at how stupid she must have been. She was also a little bit ashamed that she was thinking of Kyo at a time like this. She went back to eating her sandwich. "Are you alright?"

"Tai, why don't you like Kyo?" Sora totally disregarded Taichi's concern. His smile turned into a frown.

"I just don't like him."

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, he ran into me and thought it was my fault. He cursed me out and left. I wanted to punch his face in, but I had already had one detention last week. I didn't need a suspension."

"Kyo would never do that. He really is nice. Maybe you're talking about the wrong kid. Is that the only reason?"

"No, he did run into me. And that isn't the only reason I don't like him. He's weird. He hangs with the wrong crowd too, Sora. I really don't want anything to happen to you."

"Oh, Tai. You don't need to worry about me. I'm a big girl, and Kyo would never do anything to hurt me." She put her hand on his as if to console him. He wasn't consoled. "What time is it anyway?"

"One o'clock." Tai looked at his cell phone.

"I have to go. I'm sorry. Thank you so much for the lunch. I owe you." Sora stood up from the booth and started to go.

"You don't owe me, Sora. Where are you going?"

"Sora debated answering, but decided on telling the truth. "To Kyo's house."

**(A/N: Well, I hoped you liked this chapter. Review it and if you have any contructive criticism,** **please feel free to tell me.) And now for my thank you's:**

JyouraKoumi: Thank you for reviewing. I could definitly add some Koumi. But only a little bit, because this is Taiora. (Refresh my memory someone...koumi is koushiro/mimi, right?)

Criquett: Thank you! I had written chapters 1 and 2 back to back, so i was as eager for reviews as you were to read. It also helps that it's summer and I dont have a job:'(

NewRageInc.: Thank you as well! Soccer is a pretty amazing sport. I hope the game scene wasn't too boring for you.

Stained in Negativity: You are definitly not a bitch. I got the whole 'Kari doesn't curse' thing from a lot of people, not just you. And I guess I shouldn't have played her as the hormonal bitch. She was having trouble with Takeru though. Well, in her otehr minor appearances, she won't be mean, she might apologize even (psych). well maybe. And thank you for complementing my ideas. I really have only been on the Digimon part of fanfiction for a couple of months, and I missed out on five year (lol) of stories. So, i really don't know how original this is. It's original to me, remember that!

Fangirl712: Thank you for the review! Well, I didn't add a TKxKari snippet in this chapter. But i definitly can later on. Since freshman don't normally go to prom, i guess they can do something together. who knows. but the snippet is a while off.

Anakin ffx fan: Thank you! I'm glad you think my story is sweet. lol... kyo dying...? a totally possible, but improbable thing.

Kiyuster: reviewing from china! give her a round of applause. thank you, but in my opinion (which has no creditability) sorato is undeniably unbearable. lol. thank you for reviewing though, it means a lot

**Sorry for adding another 1,000 words of non story. :P  
**


	4. Inherently Ironic

These Final Days

Inherently Ironic

**(A/N: w00t! I finally got chapter 4 up. I also looked back at my previous chapters and saw that I didn't have a disclaimer (\), so I would just like to say that I don't own Digimon. Those idiots at Toei do. I'm going away for vacation on Friday, so if I dont have a chapter up by Friday, you may have to wait a while. Sorry. Enjoy the chapter!)**  


Sora couldn't help but feel bad after she left Tai at the café. He only whispered her a goodbye, which was barely audible. He obviously looked distraught. _'When had he stopped using that grin? I mean, I could always see through it when he used it to try and cover up his emotions, but he still never uses it anymore.'_ She was half following road signs and direction, and half contemplating Tai's behavior towards her lately.

Before her stood the Kouji apartment complex. It was just another building among the many others on the crowded island. The outside was exposed steel and the windows were tinted. It was really modern, and it fit next to the modern buildings around it. All of the buildings in Odaiba were pretty modern. The city had many interesting buildings like the exhibition center and the TV tower, not to mention the crazy Fuji News broadcasting center.

Of course, hers and Tai's apartment buildings were very modest compared to these. She and Tai lived on the older side of the island. Sora liked the look of the building. As she walked toward the entrance, she looked at all of the building around her. She walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. She reached Kyo's apartment and knocked twice. An elderly woman answered the door.

"Oh! You must be Sora. Come right in and have a seat. I'm Kiyotaka's grandmother. He's told me all about you." She lead Sora into the living room and showed Sora where she could sit. "Kiyotaka! Sora's here! Hurry up!"

"I'm almost ready!"

"You must excuse my grandson. He can be very inconsiderate at times." She had a grandmotherly smile on her face. She was a short woman, and she seemed like she was nice enough. "So, where do you live?"

"I live in the Kaihin apartment building which is on the north side of the island."

"I hope you didn't have to walk too far."

"No, it's alright. I had lunch at a café halfway between this building and mine."

"Oh, well, alright. That seems fine. Kiyotaka is really taking a while. Kiyotaka!"

"I'll be right there."

With a sigh, Grandmother Heishiro turned her attention back to Sora. "Has he told you why he moved form Niigata?"

"No. Why did he move?"

"Well, he switched schools, so his parents sent him down here to me. He's a real joy to have around the house."

"He just switched school out of the blue?"

"Well, there were complications, of course. But he can tell you that if he wants to. I know about as much as you do." The old woman laughed. It looked like she had too much sake.

The whole thing sounded weird to Sora. _'Why would someone just change their school for no reason? I'll have to ask him about it later on.'_

"Sora, are you ready to leave?" Kyo was finally done getting ready. He looked pretty good. She couldn't help but notice how nice he looked in khaki shorts and a light blue t-shirt. "I was thinking about hanging out at Aomi-Minami-Futo Park. Does that sound good?"

"Sure. Do you have a soccer ball?" The only thing she could think they could do was play soccer. That was what she and Tai played at Shiokaze Park all the time. They would spend hours playing soccer in the sun or rain. She hadn't played soccer with him in a while. Her schedule had magically filled up these last few weeks of school. She had to study for her exams, and she was hanging out with Kyo. She needed to play soccer with Tai sometime soon. _'Taichi…'_ "Sorry, Sora. I don't have a soccer ball. I thought I did, but I couldn't find one."

"That's alright." Kyo lead Sora out of his apartment and back into the elevator. They exited the building and walked towards the park.

"Was my grandmother nice to you? She always ends up launching into some irrelevant story."

"She was really nice, but she seemed a little tipsy."

"Hah! Yeah, she usually has an open bottle of sake around. So, did she tell you anything?" He had an intriguing look on his face. It was underlined with a determined expression and another expression she couldn't read.

'_Nervous? How could he be nervous?'_ She slightly raised her eyebrow at her notion. "No, she was just talking about how nice of a grandson you are and how much you help around the house. You know, the normal grandmother prattle, shining light on her only grandson."

Kyo smiled at the compliment. They continued walking and talking. Periodically, they would both laugh or smile. Sometimes Sora would blush at Kyo's flirting. They eventually reached the park.

For the rest of the afternoon, they walked around the whole park. They swung on the swings and ran around on the playground, just like two little kids. They sat and talked a while. Eventually, they both got hungry. They walked to a hot dog vendor and bought a hotdog each; this time Sora had her own money. She refused Kyo's offer to buy her a hotdog. She didn't really like it when friends paid for her. _'We're only friends.'_

While they ate, they walked towards the harbor. They fed some chips to the seagulls and threw rocks into the water. It was getting close to sunset and they had spent five hours in the park. Kyo led Sora to a hill in the middle of the park. They both sat down as the Sun slowly began to set.

"Wow. The sky is beautiful." Sora was amazed at the colors of the clouds in the sky. The pinks, reds, oranges, and purples were lighting up the sky as the Sun slowly started to slide downwards.

"It really is, but I can think of something more beautiful." Sora looked at Kyo and blushed a deep red. She looked back at the Sun. After another minute or two of watching the sky, Kyo spoke up again, "Sora, you know the prom is coming up, right?"

Sora suddenly had butterflies in her stomach, yet she was somewhat excited for what was coming. "Yes."

"If you're not already going with someone, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me. I'd like it a lot."

Sora went from nervous to extremely happy in a split second. "Of course I'll go with you, Kyo!" She hugged him tightly. Sora was beginning to worry if she was going to have a date to the prom, but she did now. She was ecstatic, and the Sun was definitely reflecting her happiness back to her. The colors were especially beautiful as the Sun slid below the horizon.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tai promptly threw out his trash and left the sandwich shop. He was extremely beside himself now. He had a gut feeling that Kiyotaka was no good. _'Of course he had run into me. And now he has Sora believing that he does not wrong, commits no crimes. I've seen him with the other idiots in the school. He's no good.'_

Tai had seen Kiyotaka hanging out with the rejects one day between classes. You know what those type of people are like. They are the kids who do drugs. Everyone knows they will drop out of school or put another illegitimate child into the world. They are the people who won't amount to anything. It's an unspoken thing.

Kiyotaka hung out with them and now he is hanging out with Sora somewhere. _'Sora says she's fine and she fully trusts Kiyotaka. I know she's wrong, and I hope she's alright.'_ Tai went home after eating lunch. He played a little bit of video games and watched some television, but he eventually got bored. Getting up, Tai just decided to go for a walk somewhere.

Tai found himself walking towards the harbor. Before he knew it, he was standing in Shiokaze Park, the place where he and Sora always went to hang out. He stood on the soccer field, where they would spend hours playing soccer. _'Sora…'_

Taichi didn't feel like leaving, so he walked to the nearest tree. It was a large, old oak tree. The trunk was slightly slanted so Tai was able to climb up it. About fifteen feet off the ground, a large branch of the tree hung perpendicularly to the trunk. It was big enough to sit on and rest against the trunk. Tai continued to climb up the trunk. He gripped the branch and pulled himself up.

Tai propped himself against the trunk and looked out at the horizon, where the Sun was slowly moving downwards. Tai was worried for Sora's wellbeing. He really cared for her, and she ran off to some guy who she just met. _'I'm not jealous.'_ He hated him. The way Kiyotaka smirked at Tai when he was with Sora made Tai angry.

He loved her, yet he couldn't bring himself about to say anything. He'd spent his whole life with her. The prom was coming up, and for all he knew she could already have a date. _'Kiyotaka could be asking her now._' Tai looked up to the sky for support. His emotions were all in a knot. He was upset with how his last few weeks were going. He felt terrible, and the Sun seemed to be reflecting his emotions back at him. The sky was a mix of red, orange, pink, and purple. _'Ironic._' A smile played at the corners of his lips as the sun slowly slipped below the horizon.

**(A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and if you have any constructive criticism, please tell me.)**

**Now on to the thank yous and such:**

**yamimoonkun- **Thank you for reading this chapter and findnig those errors! It helps a lot.

**Stained In Negativity**- Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one on past midnight. And if my stories make you excited enough to jump in delight, that rocks!

**kjkjh**- He does suck, a lot.

**Kiyuster**- I really don't remember my English classes, so I don't remember what kind of irony it is, but you could be right. _Okay everyone, this is important!_ Tai is not trying to be the next ironman or anything. I didn't say anything about big, bulky, steroid enduced muscles. He's athletic. You know what I'm talking about.

**JyouraKoumi- **Yea, I only came back on to back a few months ago...but thanks. I can definitly put a little bit of Koumi in here. You might be able to guess how and when by this point...

**NewRageInc.**- Don't we all? I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

**Anakin ffx fan**- Thanks for the comment... I'm glad you enjoy this.

**Criquett**- I'm Sora hadn't expected that she'd see Tai at the pool. Poor Tai. My room has four windows which really sucks when the sun comes up. xD

**fangirl712**- I can't put any promises on the Takari thing. Sorry. If I can fit it in, I guess I will. I'm glad people don't think I'm as straightforward as I think I am. Thank you!


	5. Stargazer

These Final Days

Stargazer

**(A/N: Well, here is chapter five; ahead of schedule too! Unfortunately, I will be away for a good week and a half from tomorrow. I will have access to a computer next Tuesday and Wednesday, but I probably will not write anything then. You can definitly expect chapter six by the 23rd of August. I hope it won't be too long of a wait for you guys, but enjoy this chapter!)**  


"Dude, go for it. You shouldn't have waited this long in the first place."

"What are you talking about, Matt. You don't even have a date in the first place."

"That's because I'm playing at the prom, Tai. It's Wednesday! Tomorrow is the last day before the Prom and you haven't asked Sora yet."

"Ok, Matt. I just haven't gotten around to it yet"

"Tai, I really think you should have asked her out years ago. Just go do it." Tai suddenly became silent after Matt said that. Tai walked Matt to the school entrance. He had a final soccer meeting, so he wouldn't be walking home with Sora. With the crazy exams schedule, he hadn't seen Sora at all since Sunday. He could have asked Sora Monday, but the few times he called the line was busy.

"Tai, you have to ask her tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow I guess. Call me or something." Matt started to walk off towards his apartment.

"See you later." Tai turned back around and headed to the cafeteria. The soccer team couldn't meet in the gym like they normally did because of all the decorations. The walls were adorned with all sorts of shiny stuff. Tables were set up, and banners hung across the ceiling. It looked like the prom would be another success for the school.

He walked into the cafeteria and ran over to his friends.

"Hey, Tai." Toyotomi Rokuro, the goalie for the team, was one of Taichi's best soccer buddies. He was also a great goalie. He only let in two goals the whole season, but the team still won those games.

"What's up, Rokuro?"

"I'm not going with anyone to the dance, and I know you haven't found someone yet."

_'Where is this going?'_ "Ughh…"

"So I was wondering…"

"Rokero, I'm not going to the dance with you. I'm not into guys."

Rokero blushed. "N-no, Tai. You've known me pretty much for ever, and you think I'm gay?" He broke into hysterical laughter "I am only having a small party Friday night at my house. You know, for us losers who don't have a date. Nori and Isamu will be there. It'll be more fun than staying at home that night."

"Well, I'm not officially dateless yet, so I don't know if I'll be able to come."

"Well, keep it in mind. Call me if you want to come or whatever."

"I'll keep it in mind." With the proposition of a secondary activity, Tai started to second guess his plans. _'What if she won't go to the prom with me? Things could get awkward if she say no. Well, summer vacation is next week, so I won't see her everyday."_ Tai convinced himself that he'd be okay, no matter what Sora said.

The final soccer meeting was extremely boring. The coach just congratulated all of the players on their amazing season. The team had been undefeated and won the championships. They had a large trophy to display now. Each member of the team got a certificate to say that they played for the team. Taichi was zoning out because he had already been there for three quarters of an hour.

"And Taichi." Tai didn't notice that the coach was talking to him. He was just staring blankly at the walls. "Taichi!" Rokeru had to tap Tai's shoulder before he snapped back to reality.

"Tai, the coach is talking to you."

"Oh, sorry. Yes, coach?"

"Taichi, I just wanted to say that with the seniors leaving the school next year, we have an opening for team captain. I think you are the person who's most suited for the position."

"Thank you, sir. That really would be awesome to be the captain."

"Definitely. You are the best player I've had in a long time. It's only fitting."

"Thank you a lot, sir. I won't let you down next year."

"I know you won't. Now get outta here; the meeting's over."

Tai ran out of the cafeteria. He was exceptionally thrilled with being the team captain. It was everything he had dreamed of since he joined the team in ninth grade. He had always been the best player on the team, and the coach's favorite. _'Three years of playing have finally paid off.'_

All previous doubts about the prom had been cleared away. Tai practically ran home in his high spirits. Nothing fazed him on his way home. He dashed across the street and almost got hit. Despite the cursing and car horns, he just kept running. The last week of school had ended amazingly. _'It seems like it can only get better, too.'_

He arrived in front of the door to his apartment. He took the key out of his book bag and unlocked the door. Quietly opening the door, he walked in and took of his shoes and put his book bag away in the closet, probably never to see the light until next school year.

"Kari, I'm home!" he yelled loudly. He stepped into the living room to see Kari and Takeru next to each other on the couch. Kari's hair seemed a little ruffled. The two freshmen put their best innocent expressions on. Tai couldn't help but seem a little taken aback by them.

"Did I catch you guys at a bad time?" Tai wore his trademark grin. He loved to tease his sister and her boyfriend.

"No," said Takeru coolly. Kari face was a deep shade of red. Tai had caught them at a bad time.

"Well, you won't believe what happened. The coach made me team captain!" Tai looked so proud at his latest accomplishment.

"That's awesome Tai!" Takeru seemed to be the one who was talking.

"Yeah…" squeaked Kari. Her face was still red, but she was becoming more comfortable when she discovered that Tai wouldn't freak on the couple.

"I just have to change and grab some money, and then I'll leave you guys alone." Tai ran into his room and changed out of his school clothes. He changed into some comfortable shorts and an undershirt and button-down shirt, which he left open as he hastily grabbed some money. Running back out of his room, he looked at Kari and Takeru one more time and then slipped his shoes back on.

"I'll see you guys later. Have fun!" As Tai was closing the door, he heard Kari yell, "TK!" in surprise. Tai couldn't help but laugh as he took the elevator downstairs. _'Those two are perfect for each other. I just hope Mom or Dad doesn't come home to see what I saw.'_

Taichi headed for the nearest flower shop. His mom always shopped at the Takenouchi's shop, but he needed an alternative. He didn't want Takenouchi-san seeing him buying flowers for her daughter. Tai's mood hadn't changed since earlier. He was still in a good mood, if not better. Kari and Takeru had given him a good laugh.

Tai entered a flower shop which seemed nice enough. Inside, there were a lot of colorful flowers. Some really colorful ones caught his attention. In the back, and old lady stood behind a counter.

"May I help you, young man?"

"Yes, I'd like to buy some flowers."

"What did you have in mind?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure what I want. What would you suggest?"

"Alright. Now, I'm guessing you need these for a girl. Am I correct?" Tai nodded. "Good. How about some red roses? They're simple, yet sophisticated."

"Aren't they expensive? I also was looking for something a little more original. What would you say if I bought these?" The old woman followed Tai to the colorful flowers he saw earlier.

"For not knowing anything about flowers, you certainly know what's beautiful." Tai looked confused. "These are Stargazer lilies. They're gorgeous and they smell good."

Tai looked closely at the flowers. The petals were pink, with a border of white around the outside. There were also black spots randomly placed on the pink part. They were ideal for what Tai wanted. "They're great! I'll take them."

The old lady took the flowers and wrapped them in plastic. She tied a dark pink ribbon around the bouquet. Taking Tai's money, she gave him the flowers. Tai smelled the flowers as he walked out of the store. _'Perfect.'_

As Tai neared the Kaihin apartment building, he began to walk slower. His previously good mood was dwindling; his ego failing him. Making it to the elevator, he pressed the button for his desired floor. _'Damn.'_ Butterflies suddenly found themselves in his stomach. He was a junior, and he was acting like a little kid.

Leisurely, he walked to Sora's door. Mustering all the courage he had, he brought his trembling hand to the door three times. _'This is it.' _Hearing footsteps near the door, he put the lilies behind his back, not wanting to freak Sora out. Behind the opening door stood a happy Sora.

"Tai! Come on in!" Tai walked in behind Sora and took off his shoes. He was a little deterred by her aura she was radiating.

"I'm so excited. Kyo asked me to the prom!"

Tai tried his best to not look dismayed. He knew Sora would have been able to see through this, but she seemed too preoccupied to notice. Inside, Tai was crestfallen. He had managed to create a good feeling today, but that was instantly destroyed by one sentence.

"What's that you have?" Sora seemed to become a little uneasy when she noticed Tai was holding something behind his back.

_'Think quickly.'_ "Well…I just wanted to get your opinion on these flowers I bought." As Tai brought them from behind his back he continued, "I know you're into flowers and I just wanted to see what you thought before I gave them away."

"Tai! Stargazer lilies! Wow, that's a lot different from what guys normally get for girls. Usually it's just a rose, but I love these! They're my favorite kind of flower!"

_'Of course they are.'_

"Who are they for?"Tha

_'You.'_ "You'll have to wait until Friday to see."

"I can't wait to see who the lucky lady is. Listen, I left Mimi on the phone, so I guess I'll see you again Friday night?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Alright, see you then."

Tai got his shoes back on and the door was shut behind him. He felt terrible. _'Just my luck.'_ He walked to the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly. Looking at his flowers again made him feel even worse. _'Beautiful, gorgeous, perfect.'_ Suddenly he became angry. _'I hate this.' _He roughly chucked the flowers in the trashcan next to him. When the elevator arrived, Tai stepped in and pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors shut and he couldn't help but feel depressed. He loved Sora, and this is what he got.

**(A/N: Well, this is the end of chapter five. It hasn't left you deperately wanting more, has it? Well, just review, and you never know. There may be a chapter up sooner than you think. Press that review button, please! Constructive criticism is highly appreciated.)**

**Now for my thank you's: **

**JyouraKoumi**- Thank you for the praise! And you can definitely expect some Koumi next chapter. It won't be a lot, but it will be some. There will also be more in later chapters too.

**Stained in Negativity**- It looks like you'll need to hug Tai again. I'm glad you like the story as much as you do. And Kiyotaka was transferred because...(stay tuned).

**yamimoonkun**- Another chapter successfully beta-ed! Thank you. And I'm paying you in music too, so be happy. (If you all like that offer, I could use betas). Cliche, cliche, cliche...GAH! everything's a damn cliche to you. lol, jk. I think I'll be the one to personally hit him with a bus.

**Taioraforeva11**- Thank you! Lets sing for absolution! (sorry for the random Muse outburst, but you said absolutely, and..well nvm) A lot of people apparently think I'm a decent writer. Thanks again

**fangirl712**- cowers here's your Takari thing! Now take it and go! Lol. the story will be going in a rather different direction than you probably thought it would. I don't know if there will be anymore Takari; I really have to concentrate on the Taiora and a good ending! Thank you!

**Kiyuster**- Unashamedly is amazingly a word...wow! Thank you for interpreting the sunset scene so well (better than I had myself)! Thank you for the review, and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter too.

**Chibi-Mocha**- I hope you won't be able to sleep because you love my story so much! Get some sleep tonite. thank you for reviewing the chapter!


	6. Alternatives

These Final Days

Alternatives

**(A/N:** **Well, I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but I was on vacation and all. And unfortunately, I don't have an awesome chapter to give to you guys because of my absence. You only have to read it, and then prepare for some more chapters. Enjoy!)**  


Sora shut the door behind her and leaned on it for support. Sighing with relief, she stood like that for a few moments. Somehow, her previous meeting with Tai left her a little confused and apprehensive. When he had arrived, he looked like he wanted to ask her something; his hands were behind his back like he'd surprise her with the flowers.

'_No._' He had come to her for her opinion on the flowers. They were for some other girl. Stargazer lilies were her favorite kinds of flowers, and Sora believed that any girl would love them. Still, she probably shouldn't have told him right away that she was going to the prom with Kyo. Tai obviously didn't approve Kyo, but she thought her other friends did. _'Matt likes him. And so does Mimi. Mimi!'_

Sora had left Mimi on the phone while she stood at the door for who knows how long. _'I hope she didn't hang up.' _Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, Sora ran to her room where the phone lay off the hook. She picked it up and asked if Mimi was still there.

"Mimi?"

"Yes, I'm still here. Who was at the door?"

"Only Tai."

"Only Tai? What did he want?"

"Tai wanted to ask my opinion on some flowers he bought."

"Wait a minute. Tai brought flowers to you for your opinion?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you tell me exactly what happened?"

"Mimi, it's not really import-"

Sora was immediately cut off. "Of course it's important! Just tell me what happened."

Sora sighed into the telephone. "You really are impossible. Let me start from the beginning. You and I were in the middle of talking about our dresses when I said, 'There's someone at the door. Hold on one minute.'"

"Yea, I know that part."

"So, I got up to answer the door and Tai was standing there with his hands behind his back. I was happy to see him, so I told him I was going to the prom with Kyo."

"That was the first thing you said to him?"

"Pretty much."

"…" On the other end of the line, Mimi was already starting to piece together what Tai was doing at Sora's apartment.

"Mimi?"

"Did Taichi look like his normal self from that point on?"

"I wasn't really paying any attention. I was really excited from our conversation before we were interrupted."

"What happened next?"

"He just pulled out some flowers and asked what I thought about them. He said they were for his date he was going to ask to the prom.

"Who's the girl?" _'Like there is one.'_

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."

"Really… What do you even see in Kyo?"

"You don't like him either? You've never even gotten to know him yet."

"No, I'm not trying be condescending here. I just want to know why you chose him instead of other, more appropriate guys."

"What do you mean by more appropriate guys?"

"Nothing, Sora. Just tell me why you like Kyo."

"I just think he's really nice. He's cute and he's also funny."

"You know this could just be a façade. He could just be that kid from Niigata who the police are after. Kyo is from Niigata, right?"

"Well, I don't know. He might have said that, but he could have also said Nagano or Nagoya or something. I don't think I was really paying attention. Anyway, he couldn't be that person. Kyo is way too sweet to hurt other people, Mimi." Sora ended that sentence with a defensive tone.

"I'm only saying…"

"It's alright. No one really likes Kyo, and I don't see why not."

"Maybe he's got you under some black magic or spell." Mimi and Sora laughed at the joke.

"Ha, maybe. But enough about that. What about Koushiro? What's he wearing to the prom?"

"He's dressing up in a nice tuxedo. He's so adorable."

"Yes, you two make such a good couple. He's really sweet." Sora and Mimi continued to chat about the upcoming prom for another hour or so. Sora seemed like she was as happy as she could be.

---------------------------------------------------------

Tai had to walk home, fifteen dollars shorter than when he had left from his house earlier. He could have easily kept the flowers and put them in a vase in his apartment, but they would have just reminded him of his failure.

Taichi wasn't too hungry, but it was already after his normal dinner time. He decided to stop at the nearest café for some soup or something. He entered and looked at the menu. Not hungry enough to have a whole meal, Tai ordered a bowl of soup. It was only decent.

Depressed as he was, Tai still managed to have a somewhat cheerful conversation with the waitress. Tai knew her from his high school. She was a senior. They talked about the end of school and summer plans.

"So the prom is looking to be pretty cool. They're giving out a car or something." As she continued to talk about the prom, Tai was losing control of his face. Feeling even more miserable, his mask was starting to go to shambles, and luckily the waitress was considerate enough to notice. "I'm sorry, Tai. Should I take your bowl?"

"Please, thank you." Tai left the café in a hurry. It was nice to catch up with a friend, but he just had to go. Funny enough, Tai didn't have anywhere to go. He didn't want to go home, because he might walk in on the family having dinner. So, Tai found himself walking and indirect route home, taking him up and down blocks and through the park.

He came to his front at a little past ten thirty. He quietly opened up the door and took off his shoes. Kari and Takeru were asleep on the couch with a movie on the television. Tai didn't want to bother them so he walked to his room, deciding to call Matt.

He picked up the phone and dialed Matt's home phone number.

"Hello, Ishida residence."

"Matt?"

"Tai?"

"Hello."

"Hey, Tai, what's up?"

"Nothing."

A little hesitantly, Matt asked, "Did you ask Sora to the prom?"

"Uh, No."

"Why not?"

"Well, the first thing she said to me was, 'Kiyotaka asked me out to the prom!' What was I supposed to say to that? 'Oh, well, I have some flowers here for you anyway. I was going to ask you out to the prom too, but I guess that's fine?'"

"I don't think you should have done that, but whatever. Sora's making a mistake for not going with you, I think, but hey, what can you do?"

"Nothing."

"So, what are you going to do Friday night?"

"Well, Rokuro invited me to some party at his house. Do you want to come?"

"No, sorry, Tai. I'm playing at the prom. I have to go now. See you later."

"See ya." Tai wasn't going to be completely lonely Friday night. He could go hang out with his friends. Maybe he'd play video games, watch a movie, and eat some food. It was nothing special, but it beat staying at home with Kari and Takeru.

He picked up the phone again and called Rokuro.

"Hello, this is Toyotomi Rokuro speaking. May I ask who's calling?"

"Rokuro, it's Tai."

"Oh, hey! Have you got a date yet?"

"That's what I was calling about. I think I'm going to come over to your house Friday night. You're still having the party, right?"

"Yes. That's awesome! We needed you so we could have some four player multiplayer action on the Xbox."

"Where do you live?"

"I live in the Kouji apartment building, apartment 512. Could you bring a controller with you and some potato chips?"

"Definitly. Thank you. I'll see you Friday!"

"Thanks, Tai. See you then."

Tai hung up his phone. He was going to probably end up playing Halo 2 all night or something like that. It wasn't go to be very exciting, but it was a better alternative to what he would be doing at home.

**(A/N: Well, this was it. It was rather unexciting, but I had to write this to set you up. I hope you liked it. Just leave me a comment and some constructive criticism if you have it. I might be leaving for the beach again until Saturday, but I'll try to continue with another chapter.)**

**Now for the thank you's:**

**JyouraKoumi**- Here was a little bit of Koumi. There will be a little more in a later chapter, so don't think I've let you down.

**Stained in Negativity**- Chocolate flavored? Lol! Well, Sora once again proved to be an idiot. But I'm not bashing her, she's just under some voodoo by that Kiyotaka (not really, but I hope you know what I mean). And have fun getting up early tomorrow! It really sucks, I know. That first day of school always sucks.

**Yamimoonkun**- Veggie Tales just sucks. Majorly. Lol! I'm glad I've been able to make Kiyotaka so hateable. Hit him with that bus!

**Anakin ffx fan**- Sorry it took so long to update, but I haven't forgotten! And we all want to kill Kiyotaka, believe me.

**digifreak880**- Thank you! I'm glad you liked that chapter. I think it was my favorite so far too, or one of my favorites. Well, I'll just have to reread my story to decide. Lol!

**Flarie Hanami**- Thank you. It's fine that you printed it out. Lol. I hope you keep reading!


	7. Anesthetized

These Final Days

Anesthetized

**(A/N: An update, finally. I hope you haven't forgotten my story. It took me too long to write this. Anyway, Enjoy!)**  


The combination of sunlight and anxiety woke Sora up at eight thirty in the morning. It was the fourth time this week that the heavy blankets she put up on her windows fell. Monday, she decided to use duct tape and hang some blankets over her two windows. After waking up early last Saturday, she had to think of some temporary fix for the problem; the key word being temporary. She woke practically every morning to see the blankets on the floor. Obviously, the tape hadn't stuck throughout the night.

But today was prom! The height of the junior's and senior's school year. Tonight was a night to have fun, celebrate the coming of graduation, and spend time with your significant other. Every student looked forward to prom, or so Sora thought.

With a smile on her face, Sora practically skipped to the kitchen to look for some breakfast.

"Excited?" Sora's mom was already up with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Yes! I can't wait to go!"

"That's great, Sora. I know you'll be the most beautiful girl at the prom."

Sora blushed. "Thanks mom."

"I'm only telling the truth, honey. When are you going to get ready?"

"Well, Kyo is picking me up at six. So I should get ready at like four or four thirty, I guess."

"That sounds great. It's only eight forty-five right now, so are you just going to hang out?"

"Yup."

"Ok."

Sora had seven hours until she had to get ready and she didn't know what to do. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat on the couch to see what was on the television. "Pulp Fiction" was the only movie that caught her eye. She had seen it a couple times, of course, but it was a masterpiece. It was the only good movie on anyways.

It was already quarter to twelve when the movie finished. Satisfied, Sora got up and went to her room. She called Mimi again and they just chatted about the upcoming prom. Mimi talked about Koushiro, and Sora talked about Kyo. They talked about their dresses. It seemed as if they had only been talking for ten minutes, but Mimi said it was two in the afternoon and she had to get ready. _'She's probably wearing a princess gown with tiara and tons of makeup.'_ Mimi sounded rushed on her end of the phone, and Sora was laughing inwardly on the other end. They both said goodbye and hung-up.

_'What should I do now? I have enough time to go outside.'_ Her hand hovered over the phone as she debated on what to do. _'Maybe play a little soccer?' _She pressed the buttons for Tai's house. _'Let's see what he's up to.'_ It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Yagami residence, Kari speaking."

"Hey, Kari. It's Sora. Is Taichi around?"

"No, he went out."

"Will he be back before four?"

"I honestly don't know. You can try Tai's cell phone though. I know I'm being rude, Sora, but I left Takeru on hold. I have to go. See you." The line went dead.

_'Kari is always on with Takeru. Well, I better try his cell.' _Sora picked up her phone again and this time pushed a few buttons quickly; she knew these two numbers by heart.

The phone rang ten times this time. _'He must not have his phone.'_

"Hello?" _'That definitely didn't sound like Tai's voice.'_

"It's Sora."

"Sora, it's Kari again. Taichi must have left without his phone." Kari was talking really rapidly. "I don't know when he'll be back. I left Takeru on the phone again. Talk to you later!" The line went dead again.

_'Oh.'_ Tai never usually left anywhere without his cell phone. '_He must have gone to see his date or something. Hey, I wonder what Kyo is doing.'_ Sora now called Kyo's house. She fumbled around through the various papers by her phone, looking for where she wrote his number down. She found it and dialed it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Heishiro-san. This is Sora. Is Kyo there?"

"Hello Sora. He's in his room. Hold, on let me get him." Sora could her yelling through the house. _"Kiyotaka! Kiyotaka, Sora is on the phone!"_

_"Okay, okay. I'm here." _"Hey, Sora."

"Hi, Kyo. I was just calling to see what you were doing."

"I'm just waiting for the prom." The conversation that ensued was about the prom. It was the second time that Sora talked about the prom, and this conversation was even longer than the one she shared with Mimi. Kiyotaka and Sora talked about what they were wearing. Kyo was going to wear a black tuxedo, something simple and traditional, and Sora told him about her dress. They talked about how they were going to have so much fun.

Kyo had to hang up at three thirty. Sora decided she would get ready at that time. She went to the bathroom and took a shower. Walking back to her room, she saw all the papers that used to be by her phone were all over the floor. She picked each and every one and put them back on the table. She then saw the clothes all over her floor and she picked them all up. Each time she finished something, she found another something that needed cleaned, picked up, or organized.

An hour or so later, she turned the vacuum cleaner off and unplugged it from the wall. She was sweaty and tired from her cleaning. There was a knock at her door.

"Honey, it's nice and all that you want to clean your room for once, but its quarter to five. You probably should take a shower." Sora looked worried as she realized that she spend more than an hour cleaning her room. "Don't worry. You have enough time to get ready."

Sora rushed out of her room to take another shower. _'Just my luck.'_ She got out of the shower, put her clothes back on, and dried her hair with the blow drier. Her fingers fumbled with her makeup; she was nervous. By breathing deeply, she was able to steady herself enough to put on a little bit of makeup. Sora was never the person to get dolled up. She only had a few products in her bathroom to use, but enough to make her look great.

As she walked back to her room, Sora was thinking about how she'd get into her dress. It turned out to be easier than she thought. Sora only had to call her mom to zipper up the back. After Sora's mom had zipped it up, she stepped back to look at her daughter who was already going to her first prom.

"Sora, you look absolutely gorgeous. Honey, you don't know how proud you make me."

"Oh, come on, mom. You don't have to go on and rant."

"Sora, I can't help it. Just yesterday it seemed like you were this tall." She made the accompanying gesture, her hand at waist height. "You're already going to the prom. Soon you'll be living all by yourself and I will be old." The door bell rang.

"Mom, come on. Gather yourself and go let Kyo in. Tell him I'll be right there. I still need to fix my hair." Sora's mother left her baby and went to go greet Kiyotaka.

Sora decided to go simple with her hair too. She brushed her bangs to the side of her face and clipped them with her special hair clip; the one Tai had given her years ago. She slightly curled the bottom of her hair to give her a little flip. She was ready. Simple, yet stunning.

She walked into the family room where Kyo was waiting. He wore exactly what he said he would: a traditional black tuxedo. _'Cute.'_ Kyo looked at Sora like she was the most beautiful thing ever.

"You look beautiful, Sora." Sora wore a strapless red dress. The color wasn't that intense, like scarlet, but it vivid enough to make her stand out. It really outlined her already slim figure. The bottom of the dress didn't billow out, it held close to her legs, but still looked elegant. She wore uncomplicated red high heels.

"Ready?"

"Yes." Kyo didn't rent a limousine, but Sora was happy with going in his car. She was just happy to get out of the house.

"I can't believe we made it out of there alive."

Sora laughed at Kyo's joke. "I know what you mean. My mom was extremely annoying with those pictures." They continued to talk about the prom as they drove.

Kyo parked his car, and they walked into the school just the prom started. Matt was playing at eight, and it was seven now. The DJ was playing some dance songs. Before dancing, Sora got something to eat and met up with some friends. Kyo wasn't going to dance right away.

By the third song, Sora had already kicked off her shoes and was breathing hard. The DJ announced that the next song would be a slow song. Sora looked for Kyo, who was already walking towards her.

"May I have this dance?"

"Of course." At first Sora was nervous dancing with Kyo, but as the song progressed, she slowly relaxed. She looked up at Kyo to see him looking back down at her. Blushing she looked back down.

After the song, she decided to take a break. She walked over to a table where Mimi and Koushiro were sitting next to each other.

"Hey, you guys. Have you danced yet?"

"Koushiiro is such a great dancer! We're having so much fun."

"That's great." The lights dimmed and Matt's band walked on stage. Everyone screamed."

"Hey Matt's on." Sora turned her attention to the blonde haired singer. She wondered how Matt sacrificed going to the prom with a date for playing here. Always having another girl in line to be his, he was never in a relationship for long. _'Such a playboy.'_ That's what turned her off from Matt. When she went backstage with those cookies, he was surrounded by other girls. She had only had a crush on him, but then realized that he wasn't her type.

Matt's song reminded her of her friends. Well, it was written about all of them. One line mentioned her and another mentioned Tai, not straightforwardly of course. Where was Tai? She hadn't seen him all night. He definitely would have been on the dance floor with his date. Maybe she was just missing him. That was it.

Matt's little concert ended. Sora had to part the crowd to get to Matt as he was packing up.

"Matt! Hey, Matt!"

"Oh, hey, Sora. What's up?" Matt had to talk loudly over the noise.

"You played really well tonight. Have you seen Tai around here at all?"

Tai, of course, had told Matt where he'd be, but he was preoccupied with cleaning up that he forgot. "Thanks. And no, I haven't seen him at all. I'll keep you posted though."

"Thanks." Immediately, Sora was jostled out of Matt's groupies. She got back on the dance floor with her friends and danced the night away.

The night was coming to a close when Sora, shoes in hand, trudged back to Kyo, who hadn't danced with her again after the first time. She was extremely tired and rather upset at not finding Tai, but she didn't think about it too much.

"Ready to go home?"

"Yes, please." Kyo looked like he wasn't tired at all. He had barely danced, after all, except for that one time. They walked back to Kyo's car. The sound of the engine was soothing and she couldn't fight off the sleep which came.

The passenger side door was opened and something was being wrapped around her wrists. Her mind was trying to send a sense of urgency to her muscles, but she couldn't fully awake. Something slipped over her mouth. She tried to move her hand up, but she couldn't. _'Bound.'_

Her eyes flashed open as she was dragged out of the car. Kiyotaka pulled her out. She knew something was wrong and tried to break free from his grip. She was slapped across the face. She tried to scream out but she couldn't. _'Gagged.'_

She tried to calm down, but she was being taken to Kyo's apartment, not hers, to be – she didn't want to think about it. One word played around in her mind. _'Rape.'_ How could she calm down? Calming down was out of the picture. She was going to be raped and killed, or at least killed. She didn't know what Kyo would do. _'Mimi was right. This was the person who the police were looking for.'_

The elevator came to the ground floor. Sora was dragged in. Kyo pressed the button for the fifth floor. _'Taichi was right. He was right about Kiyotaka. Evil, bad, terrible.'_ Tears welled up in Sora's eyes. She was shaking slightly as she thought about her impending murder. She wanted to live; she wanted to see the world. Cliché, but who really wanted to die? She didn't. She was fighting a losing battle, though. Her strength had abandoned her on the dance floor, leaving her numb body powerless.

**(A/N: There it is. I hope you liked it. It had a cliffhanger, I admit. Remember to review my story. Reviews were lacking on chapter six, so my thank you's will be more thankful to the people that reviewed last chapter. I foresee 2-3 more chapters from my standpoint. Stay tuned!)**

** Now for the thank you's (only 6, but thanks to those who did review. ):**

**digifreak880-** Thanks for reading! I know that chapter wasn't so good, but hopefully this one was better.

**Stained In Negativity- **Yea, I know you like Matt. Really, he's not that bad. I just don't like Sorato as much as Taiora, but, that's jsut my disposition. I'd like to see your story: **'Taichi's Chocolate Factory'**? Sounds like a hit. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**a-** Thanks for the review. I think you were right, were you?

**yamimoonkun- **I forget what song I was listening to, but I was thinking you could mosh to it. Front ensemble? Lol. Well, thanks for beta-ing again! It means a lot because my story would suck (especially this chapter) with all those small errors.

**Anakin ffx fan- **This is exactly what Sora did with Matt in the series. Tai never acts fast enough. But things tend to work out...

**JyouraKoumi-** Don't worry, I hate pink too. Koushiro is a good dancer? I don't know where that came from, but I needed something to say. Thanks for reviewing!


	8. Synchronized

These Final Days

Synchronized

**(A/N: I was a little rushed to finally produce this. I couldn't leave you hanging for more than a week. I silently hate myself for not updating more often, but as I've learned so hard, _once_ a week is enoug. I'll just say the same thing said to me: "You readers need to be patient." Excuse any mistakes; my beta isn't online now and I only reread quickly. Enjoy the chapter. The story is almost done.)**

_Run forward, strafe left, shoot, jump, throw grenade._

"You've just been stuck!" The neon blue grenade that had adhered itself to the character's armor blew up, blasting Isamu's character into the sky and killing him.

"You suck! That was just luck." The game of Halo 2 had already escalated into the frenzy it normally became. Think of it as a story: the loading screen is the rising action, the game is the climax, and results screen is the resolution. The action is nonstop.

"You're just mad because I whooped– Tai, where the hell did you come from?"

Isamu was equally amazed. "Tai!" Isamu had respawned right next to Rokuro and they were back at attacking each other.

_"Double kill!"_

"Reinforcements!" Nori charged into the area with another person, oblivious.

_"Triple kill!"_

_"Killing frenzy!"_

Rokuro and Isamu both had respawned by now and were ready to try and kill Tai again.

"Truce?"

"Truce."

_"Kill-tacular!"_

Four loud curses sounded through the room. Tai had made it to 250 points yet again. Alas, they couldn't deal with the win; he had won three times already, and each game was easily an hour and a half long.

"Damnit, Tai. You always win. We never have a freaking chance!" Tai was the disputed, but rightful champion of Halo 2 among the group he hung out with. Rokuro hated it.

"That's not my fault," stated Tai somberly.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man? You aren't in a good mood, but you can play like you do every other day!" Isamu had felt Tai's emanating sadnees or at least noticed something was wrong.

Tai feebly tried to summon a grin. "I never forfeit a game. I never try any less hard." He had at least spoken the truth. When the game had come out, Tai bought it immediately. It simply was just the best game ever made. And having at least three friends to play it with made it even more fun. Coming over here was an alternative to sulking around his room; he wasn't going to ruin his friend's night too.

Isamu was not convinced. Even if Tai's friends were pretty dense, they could often read Tai, when Tai outright displayed his emotions. "Whatever. Let's have a break."

All of them got out of their chairs except Tai. He just looked at the setup around him. Two TV's were set back to back with an Xbox hooked up to each. In turn, the Xboxes networked so they could play with more than four people and no "screen looking." Everyone hates screen looking and apart from honesty, having two TV's was the only way to prevent it. It is the main pet peeve for Halo players.

There were five controllers hooked up to the game systems. Rokuro had invited another friend of his, but Tai hadn't gotten his name. It was no surprise to Tai that when he arrived late, the other four kids had already started a game. He had to wait thirty minutes to join in, so by the time he was going to introduce him, the game had already started and everyone else's attention was solely on the TV's.

There were bags of cheese curls, chips, and popcorn thrown all around the room. _'I can't believe his parents let this go on.'_ Soda cans were everywhere as well. Tai had always insisted on everyone bringing their own controller after he hosted a Halo 2 party. Sora was away that weekend, so he decided to have some friends over. It was a mistake.

The kids left his family room trashed. Tai stayed up an additional two hours cleaning the room for his parents. Scrubbing, washing, and picking up left him exhausted that night. His controllers were all greasy. One raging Taichi and day later, his controller law was ratified.

The spot on the couch where he was sitting was clean. He didn't touch the junk food in front of him. Normally he would have pigged out. That only led to him going home sick, at twelve o'clock at night. That was not a good idea. For some reason, Tai was acting with a little more common sense. His mood had a sobering effect.

Tai's thumbs hurt. Playing video games profusely for that long usually had that outcome. If he didn't cut back on the video games, he'd probably end up with carpal tunnel syndrome. But what else was he supposed to do? _'Sora is in love with Kiyotaka. Of course she's not going to want to play soccer or just hang out and watch a movie.'_ Video games were all he had left. _'I could read.'_ Tai only laughed at himself. _'I haven't read a good book for at least a year.'_ While Taichi was silently laughing at himself, the Rokuro came back to the couch.

"We're going to play again. Do you want to join, hun?" The joke of the day. When Tai had misread Rokuro's question, and basically called him gay, it became the funniest thing ever heard.

"I'll just watch." Rokuro looked like he had been betrayed. Yagami Taichi, giving up a game of Halo2? Tai caught on. "I can't keep beating you like that. I want to see who wins without my influence. See who's second best."

"Ha, Tai. _You _are second best. Everyone knows I'm the best." It was amazing how shallow people's concern can be diverted as simply as that. Tai didn't think that was going to work. This was the second time tonight he was able to throw someone off like that. Maybe he was getting all worked up because he thought they would react like Sora, all-knowing. That's what happens when you are great friends with someone for so long.

Watching the game was boring. Everyone was pretty much neck and neck. Tai tried to watch the game, but he was very tired. He ended up dozing in and out of sleep.

It was peaceful, to be able to leave such a chaotic world behind. All the yelling in the room would have kept anyone else awake, but Taichi slept. His world wasn't moving, fighting, shooting, killing, but it was black, dark, and calm. Shapes moved as his unconsciousness took over. Blurred images flashed through his mind. The walls closed in on him. Suffocation. He was panicking. Asphyxiation. He was trapped.

As quickly as he fell asleep, he was woken by an elbow jabbing into his side.

"Oh, Sorry, Tai." Rokuro had jerked his arm in some attempt to keep his player alive in the game. He only managed to die and wake Tai up from that crazy dream. Rokuro did a touble-take, and on the second glance he noticed Tai was sweating. "Tai, you don't look so hot, babe. You okay?"

"Yea…" Too bad Rokuro was already focused back on the game; not paying any attention to Tai's response. _'Why does he even ask?' _ Battle called.

"You know, Rokuro?"

"What?" Eyes glued to TV.

"Rokuro?"

"What? Still no listening.

"Rokuro, listen to me."

"What the hell do you want, Tai?" Rokuro was consequently sniped in the head for taking his attention off the game. "Damn you, Tai! I wasn't paying attention."

"Rokuro, it's almost eleven. I'm tired and I'm going home."

"Fine."

"Tell your mom I said thank you. See you guys." Tai let the gesture hang in the air. He only waited a few second for a response, but he didn't get one. He began to leave.

"Will do."

The talking was done. _'Too caught up in your game to say "bye?" Not only does he just ignore me, so does everyone else.'_

Gathering up his controller, Tai readied for leaving. He straightened out his shirt and looked at the chips he brought earlier. They weren't worth taking; he wouldn't eat them any time soon, and Kari wasn't a big junk food fan.

Tai glanced at the people spread throughout the room, but they paid him no attention. Their game was too precious.

He put his shoes on and stepped out onto the walkway. The night was beautiful, clear, and chilly. It was definitely weird for a summer night, to be as cold as it is. Leaning over the edge of the wrought iron railing, Tai took a few deep breathes of the air. It was nice to finally be out of that stuffy apartment.

He returned to his composed self. There was no use in having people think he was in a good mood; it's not he was, anyway. A shuffle of feet caught his attention. Rounding around on his heels, he came face to face with Sora and Kiyotaka, except this wasn't any normal after party hangout. Sora was crying silent tears and was shaking slightly. Kiyotaka had a crazed, malevolent look set upon his face. It didn't take too much for Tai to put two and two together.

'_Oh, shit.'_

Absentmindedly dropping his controller, Taichi simultaneously was nauseated and enraged. Sora was bound, or so it appeared, and things didn't look very good from there out. Was it just luck that he had stepped out at this exact time? He couldn't just step aside; the criminal in front of him was still overcoming the fact that Tai had just walked outside, destroying every plan he had. Tai had to think on his feet now, for the safety of Sora and himself.

In one deft movement, Tai sprung on Kiyotaka. Tai was nimble on his feet from the years of soccer, so when Kiyotaka threw a punch, Tai easily dodged it. Tai then rammed his knee up into the kid's stomach swiftly, completely knocking the air out of him. Sora let out a small gasp as she dropped to the floor.

Tai was immediately by her side, untying the rope which bound her hands and doing the cloth which gagged her mouth.

"Tai!" sputtered Sora. Sora practically flew onto Tai with a bone crunching, gratuitous hug.

Hesitantly at first, Tai returned the hug. "Sora." Tai didn't remember how long they stayed there, on the concrete ground in each other's embrace, but it could have been forever.

"Excuse me. Taichi, babe?"

"Huh?" Instantly, Tai let go of Sora to turn around and see who was talking to him.

"Rokuro?"

"What happened out hear. And who's this thug laying here on the ground? He's practically dead." Rokuro used his foot to push Kiyotaka to his side, as if he were a dead animal.

"He's trash." Rokuro also wasn't very dumb. He figured out what happened between this kid and Tai. "Isamu? Help me. We have a cow to rope up."

Quietly, Tai returned his attention back to Sora. "Sora?"

With red still tinged on her cheeks, she replied softly, "Yes?"

"Do you want to go home?"

"Yes." They walked close by each other to the elevator. It was a comfortable distance; Sora didn't want to leave Taichi's protection. They walked to the Tai's car and got it. Only then did Sora understand what happened to Tai. He hadn't been at the prom at all. His attire certainly spoke for itself. Neither could he have had a date to the prom. So, he had lied to her all along. Sleep was closing in on her, and her grip on her thoughts loosened.

Tai drove up to the apartment building where Sora lived. She was asleep. _'Great. Carrying her should be fun.'_ The sarcasm in his own thoughts was evident. It wasn't that he objected to carrying her to her house, but he couldn't help being more than thankful for the invention of elevators.

Arriving to the door, Tai quietly slipped in. Sora seemed to be sleeping quite soundly in Tai's arms, but to him the arms felt like lead. Even in the dark, Tai knew where Sora's bedroom was. He had spent so many days in this apartment that he knew it as well as his own. Gently opening the door to her room, Tai was finally able to put her on her bed. As he let go of her, her hand still clung to his arm. Tai tried to pull away, but the grasp only tightened. He pulled again.

"Taichi, don't leave," mumbled Sora half consciously.

Tai really debated on staying. He knew it would arouse implications, but the girl could have been killed tonight, so he would indulge her half-asleep self. Just for tonight anyway. It's not like this meant anything; he was just acting as a stand in stuffed animal, washing all fears away throughout the night.

**(A/N: Well, there you have it. Another chapter to my, may I say, mediocre story. ****Excuse the Halo 2 crap in there. It probably went right over most of your heads, but props to you if you know what I'm talking about. ****Anyways, all reviews and constructive criticism is highly appreciated. I will edit all mistakes in this chapter because of my ineptitude to fix them in the first place.)**

**  
Thank you's:**

**  
yamimoonkun-** Well, you know what's going on. Once again, I thank you for help beta-ing, but I couldn't wait any longer to post this. And you weren't on! Aye.

**BladeMasterAd-** It was all in his plan, man. And of course, you are satisfied with what happened? Thank you for the review.

**Net-Op Jeff- **They are the perfect couple. No arguing about it. Thanks!

**digifreak880-** Only "OK?" I tried my best to convey the events of last chapter, sorry if they came out boring though, everyone. Thanks for the review!

**JyouraKoumi- **I'm glad you guys are liking this more than me. And don't worry, I hate pink too. Thank you!

**Flarie Hanami-** Hey, no problem. Damn, you guys are way too good at making inferences. Well, thanks for the review!

**Stained In Negativity- **You like Taiora more than Sorato! That's an exclamation. I'm proud of you for finally realizing which is the better couple. This chapter should be dedicated to you, but it's not. No hard feelings? Thanks for reviewing, once again!

**Kiyuster- **Yes, I place subtle hints throughout all my chapters, if you hadn't notice. Really I didn't, but if I did that'd be cool. Well, maybe my subconscience did and I don't know it. I love cliffhangers, except when it takes a week for a certain author to then update. I love the word "naiveté." If I knew the keystrokes for the "i" with the two dots on it, I'd use it. Thank you!


	9. These Final Days

These Final Days

These Final Days

**(A/N: Well, here is the last chapter, finally. I'm not insanely happy about it, but I hope you like it. I'm sorry if it disappoints you, because it did it to me. It's not like my story was phenomenal like other author's, but I tried! Anyways, enjoy!)  
**

_Thrown against the wall, the pain is harsh. Tumbled on the bed with its softness, felt even through the soreness of bruises. Radiating the relief from a hard day of work. Work the fields, office job, race a car, whatever. You always come home exhausted. For a moment, everything was comfortable. To be able to sleep your troubles away was a thing of the past. _

_ With the action of falling, the equal and opposite bounce was inevitable, bringing memories of roller coasters at the theme park, jumping up and down on the spring box as a kid, bobbing with the waves of the powerful ocean. Only to come back down hard when you left the park, left the beach, got yelled at. Silence followed. Presently, you are prone, taking breaths silently yet surely, not knowing when you will die. A wiggle here, a wiggle there. Shake and tremble all you want. At this point, you are worth nothing. This is your last and only reprieve before you leave this place, and you spend it like a dying animal in the mud writhing and seething, trying to shed the shackles placed on you by you, not by him. _

_ That's right. It's all your fault. You were forewarned, but now you lay here drowning in your own foolishness, asphyxiating from your lack of air. Sputtering and spitting. This is the last struggle you fight on this planet. You continue to twist and turn as you fight a battle uphill. It's futile, you know it. A dying animal knows when to give up, but you don't even though you know this is only the calm before the storm. Your future only holds your fatality. Terminally ill with your fallacies giving you hope you shouldn't have; leading you to believe you will be saved. When Taichi will walk in through the door adorned in gallant, shining armor. Fitting for him; yes, but nonetheless untrue for you. _

_ Concentration faltering, your thoughts ripping, tearing away. Your subconscious is preparing for who knows what. Your old memories resurface and gather on the brim of your mind, poised to fall away. Glinting of covert steel lights up the room for only a second. You were too wrapped up to notice that he was back, silent feet padding across the ground. This is when the animal realizes it has been trapped. Why waste more energy? _

_ Gliding towards you, the figure looms in your view. Silhouetted by the dim, dim light coming from the already covered windows, you can make out his arms spread wide and ready. Like the glint of steel, you think you can make out a flash near the head. It could have been his smile. Maybe a grin? –No! Remember, you are not getting saved tonight, you are dead already. It was only the malicious flicker in his eyes, his savage teeth ready to rip the skin from your body. _

_ He lowers himself to the bed and slowly caresses your face. That's right. You know what he's going to do before he kills you. A trail of ice follows his hand. Your spine shivers from your discomfort. His hand rests on your chin. You want it to stop, but it won't. His hand slips to your shoulders. You are turned on your side and you feel a tug on your dress. The zipper is being slowly and agonizingly pulled down. You try to place those walls up, to defend what little else you still own, but to no avail. You are withering, you are dying. In a vain attempt to live, you try to throw him off. You are withering and without power. The walls have been closing in for an eternity, and they continue to choke you. Choking the life out of you. The hand strokes you once again. This time the pressure is too great. What's weighing down on you collapses and you stumble and fall, down the hill you were only fighting up moments ago. _

Sora awoke with a loud gasp. She was fighting to break free from the grasp of the web she had spun herself into consciousness. She sat up, breathing hard and rubbing her wrists where the ropes had been, as the images of her nightmare still haunted her. Was it just a dream? An arm was wrapped around her waist. Looking behind her, she saw Tai. She was safe.

Taichi was slowly stirring, having been disturbed by Sora's outburst. Tightening his hold around Sora as he slowly woke, Tai's eyes opened and closed few times.

"Sora? Lie back down." She did as she was told, snuggling into the warmth emitted from Tai. Half-consciously he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Thank you, Tai."

"Sora, you know I love you too much to let bad things happen to you. Just go back to sleep." Sora had been slowly falling asleep until she heard that last remark. Tai was half-awake; of course he didn't mean what he said. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized how oblivious she had been. '_The flowers in the trashcan weren't just random, they were the ones Tai had brought to me, and they were for me_._ They weren't for some other girl. Tai had no date to the prom; I was who he was going to ask. I'm such an idiot! I've been so negligent to my best friend. I've left him to pick himself up after I threw punch after punch to him. Of course he didn't like Kyo, and that was the only thing I ever talked about around Tai. Oh…" _

The anguish on Sora's face was clearly shown. As she tried to calm the panic, she grew weary and tired. The comfort she was experiencing enveloped her and she joined her best friend in sleep. She was content and cozy inside Tai's arms.

The remainder of the night went by quickly. No dreams, good or bad, just peaceful sleep in the quiet of a dark night.

Bright daylight flooded into the room. It may have been a warm day outside, but Sora felt like she was missing something. Opening her eyes, she looked around the room. Last night was a blur, yet she had some general idea of what had happened. She went to the prom, Tai wasn't there, and Kyo was going to rape or kill her. Somehow, things led up to Tai saving her and being taken home. _'Where is Tai?'_

Thinking about him reminded her of the middle of the night, when she finally understood what she had caused in the past week. She felt like crap. She hadn't meant to cause him any pain; he was her best friend. _'But what I've been is anything but a friend'_

The weight of it all just kept building and building inside of her until she just couldn't take it anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes and her breath faltered as she let out a quiet sob. She had to apologize for what she had done.

Leaving the sanctity of her bed, Sora set out to find Tai in her house. She didn't have to go far, because outside of her room in the kitchen was Tai, who appeared to be cooking breakfast. He heard her open the door and saw the tears in her eyes. Switching off the stove, he rushed over by her side.

"Sora, what's wrong?" The food he was cooking smelled amazing, and she was ruining it. It was getting cold while she stood here being unworthy of his attention. The eggs deserved him, not her.

"Taichi, I'm so sorry."

Concerned showed on the surface of Tai's face. "What's there to be sorry for?" He saw her eyes dart to the stove. Looking where she was just looking at, he thought she was talking about the food. "Oh, Sora. It's just some eggs, you don't have to cry–"

"Taichi…"

"Huh? Sora?" This only caused Sora to shed more tears. Tai figured that she was fighting some inner battle. He took his arms and wrapped them around her in a comforting hug. "Tell me."

"Taichi… I'm so s-sorry. I've been a terrible friend to you. I'm so sorry for this last week or so." Sora was clearly ashamed as she looked away from his face.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Sora."

_'Taichi will always choose when he wants to be attentive or thick. Does he just not want to address it? Should I do the same?'_ "Yes I do."

"What?"

_'Does he want me to confess to him that I was wrong? That my vision was skewed and that Kyo was a mistake? That was a mistake, but Tai is wrong. He loves me, but do I love him?_ "Nevermind." His arms left Sora's sides, and he walked back to the kitchen.

As he turned on the stove, he said, "Sora, I hope you know that I'll always be there for you." He kept his gaze on the cold food the whole time

_'Of course I love him. I've been in denial for how long? At the pool he was there and I was a flirt. Tai, I truly am sorry for what I've done.' _Sora walked over to the opposite side of the kitchen counter and sat down. "Tai?"

"Yes?" Again, he didn't look at Sora.

"There were flowers in the trashcan on this floor the other day." _'I hope he's not taking this as me being arrogant. I'm not playing with him. I care about him.' _

"Really? What kind?" Tai took the breakfast off the stove top nonchalantly. He walked over to where Sora sat and put the frying pan on the counter.

"My favorite." Taichi locked his eyes with Sora's. They both knew what the other person was thinking. In a sense, they had just silently spoken what the other wanted to hear.

Dipping down slightly, Tai drew his face next to Sora's. Their lips connected for a few seconds, and for that time being, electricity flowed freely. This was what Sora had been longing for – some one to love as they loved her. She was kidding herself with Kyo. _'Was I really that blind?'_

Tai pulled away from Sora, who now had renewed tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over the edge. "Sora?"

"I never knew – I was blind not to see."

"Sora?"

"I'm so sorry. I should have –"

"Sora, I love you." Sora quieted down with her apologies. She was sincerely sorry for what she had done, but Taichi was willing to let it all go. He embraced her in another comforting hug. She had been a mess since last night, and Taichi seemed to fix it all. These final days were probably horrible for him, as they had been for her. And unknowingly, she had caused it all.

"I really am sorry."

"Shh, you don't need to apologize." The embrace lasted for a long time. Sora felt safe and content with Tai. She really did love him.

"I love you too, Taichi."

**(A/N: Well there you have it. In all its poor melodramatics, the story has finally come to a close. Sorry for the shortness. Seriously, if you have any constructive criticism, I want it badly. I know there are some errors in there, even though I am going to read over the chapter after I finish this Author's Note. Also, review! I can't write better stories unless my audience tells me what I need to improve on and include or exclude. The kiss sucked, didn't it? I can't thank you all enough for sticking through this story, with my irregular postings. I won't post a little thing for thank you's, so any people who review will get personalized (yay!) replies and whatnot. I thank you again for reading this, and review please.)**

**Anakin ffx fan**- Yes, I know it does. That's what I like about Tai's character; he's so supportive of his friends. I hope you enjoyed reading the story.

**Stained In Negativity****- **Thanks a lot. My chapters are short? I'm sorry, but few of us can be as good of a writer as you. Everyone, check her stories out, they're great (they also need reviews, badly xD). Kust kidding. Lol. Seriously, check her stories out. Thank you for reading!

**BladeMasterAd- **Yeah, he's a soccer player. They have stronger thighs then other people, I'm guessing. Who doesn't love Halo? I could easily pull an all nighter on that game even though its nearing on its second year out. That's a game that holds up to the test of time. I'm happy you understood that. I hope I didn't come out as a bad Halo player, because I'm actually pretty good at the game (better than writign at least ). Thank you!

**Tamer Jeff- **Nope, I don't have MSN. You can always PM me or e-mail me. I only have AIM, so if you want that you should e-mail me for it. I hope you liked how this ended. Thanks!

**digifreak880- **It was hardly crap lol. Well, maybe it was. Thank you for reading my story. Hope you enjoyed it.

**JyouraKoumi- **Yea I hate Michi, but this story was Taiora. I added in the Koumi just for you. lol. I'm glad that you liked this a lot. Thanks for reading!

**yamimoonkun- **Yes, I had to end the story, there was no way I could keep it interesting. I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you for being able to edit for me, despite your busy schedule.

**Flarie Hanami- **Lol. I hate Kyo too. I hope you enjoyed the story! Thank you.

**Kiyuster- **Yea, I planned this out. I was thinking about ending the story last chapter, but it seemed a bit rushed at that point. Thank you for your awesoem review. I have flavor? xD. Glad someone likes my story more than me! And you are so good at pointing out stuff that I didn't intend on being there. Love that. Thank you so much.

**(20,000 words, boii! Nice.)**

**Well, not anymore. Fixed a few minor errors thanks to my beta! Added a few words. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you. **


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